Iron Man 3 Assembler Plus!

ultraman zoffy · 02-19-2013, 09:42 PM

UPDATES! Added Revoltech joints at the knees, but still have bendable wire for the elbow joints. With the Revoltech knees, the figures are now in-scale height wise with the IM2 figure line.

So... realizing that there seems to be no plans for quality 3.75 IM3 figures, I decided to use my "hobbling" bendy wire technique to add some poseability to these p.o.s.'s. Brought the figure to about Avengers movie line articulation level, and it is now a semi-decent 3.75 stand in movie line figure. Iron Patriot now has:

1) bend/swivel elbow joints
2) outward hip movement (gained by tapering the hip area of the upper legs and routing a notch around the hip pegs to turn it into more of a "ball" joint)
3) bend/swivel knee joints
4) bend/swivel repulsor wrist

I'm actually having fun with this fig now, and just have to stick a filler piece on the lower thigh area to fill in the gap there that will sink into the knee guard. It worked well enough and was so easy that I ordered a MK42 Assembler to mod. Total mod time was about 15 minutes.

RodimusVTS · 02-22-2013, 07:49 AM

Not bad, did the leg mods add any height?

ultraman zoffy · 02-22-2013, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodimusVTS

Not bad, did the leg mods add any height?

No, no additional height added. It ends up being the same exact size it is in box even after the wire joints are in.

RodimusVTS · 02-24-2013, 04:12 PM

So it's still shorter than the IM2 one? Darn.

ultraman zoffy · 02-25-2013, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodimusVTS

So it's still shorter than the IM2 one? Darn.

I'm actually going to try out revoltech joints for the IM MK42 Assembler, and I'm pretty sure that'll add some length to the arms and legs. I'll post up once that gets done.

ultraman zoffy · 03-04-2013, 10:28 PM

Update bump! =)

trekking95 · 03-06-2013, 10:13 PM

Are the shoulders the stock ones?

Also if you could add a bit more details on how it was done that would be great. I would like some IM3 figures, but the way they are from the store is horrible! And they didn't even paint the palm repulsor!

ultraman zoffy · 03-07-2013, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekking95

Are the shoulders the stock ones?

Also if you could add a bit more details on how it was done that would be great. I would like some IM3 figures, but the way they are from the store is horrible! And they didn't even paint the palm repulsor!

The shoulders are indeed the stock ones... they're actually the ONLY redeeming factor on the Assembler figures. I didn't plan on doing up any of the other IM3 figs except the MK42 and Iron Patriot, but I'll try elaborating more on the process. You'll want to read my other custom WIP thread here first for the basic idea on how to do the elbows:
http://www.toyark.com/hobbling-my-5-...lution-124204/

It basically comes down to cutting the Assemblers at the elbows and knees along the panel lines sculpted into the figures. Originally, I ended up just using bendable aluminum wire for both the knees and elbows, but later installed revoltech joints at the knees to make the gap less pronounced. The elbows have wire joints, but the gap is not bad at all so the revoltech joints aren't necessary there. Getting outward movement at the hips is also really easy; Iron Patriot required a little shaving at the top of his upper legs to allow for a little more movement, but the MK42 is slim enough in that area to allow good range without any mods. The T-Crotch on these is surprisingly non-limiting on the Assemblers, and is close to ball joint level of movement (like older MU figs).
All in all, simple mods, but it does wonders for making these toys way funner than they were designed to be.

trekking95 · 03-07-2013, 03:39 PM

Sounds cool! Now just to wait until they go on sale so I can justify buying them (not really, I'll give in before then

).

Where did you get the revoltech joints though? Most of the ones I have seen for sale look too big.

ultraman zoffy · 03-07-2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekking95

Sounds cool! Now just to wait until they go on sale so I can justify buying them (not really, I'll give in before then

).

Where did you get the revoltech joints though? Most of the ones I have seen for sale look too big.

I buy random assortment bags on ebay. 50 random joints for $18.99, 100 for $30-something. I believe the joints I used for the knees are 4mm; I lucked out having 2 red ones for the MK42.

trekking95 · 03-07-2013, 04:28 PM

There were bags of just 6 mm joints for sale on eBay, but no just 4 mm ones . Do you think that would work? I would rather not buy a whole bag if I didn't need to.

trekking95 · 03-07-2013, 10:25 PM

Just to throw it out there to IM3 custom figure makers, there is a guy on eBay selling casts of what appears to be a 3.75 in. Volstagg head. Now I have read elsewhere where people said a Volstagg head with an altered beard and hair would kinda look like Kingsley's Mandarin. Just add that to a Mandarin body from IM2 and you would have just fixed Hasbro's problem of never doing a proper villain figure.

ultraman zoffy · 03-09-2013, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trekking95

There were bags of just 6 mm joints for sale on eBay, but no just 4 mm ones . Do you think that would work? I would rather not buy a whole bag if I didn't need to.

6mm would work... you'd just need to dremel out a bigger portion of the lower thigh and knee area to make it fit. I used 4 mm because I felt 6 might bulge out a bit too much, but in a pinch it shouldn't be too big of a deal.

trekking95 · 03-09-2013, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultraman zoffy

6mm would work... you'd just need to dremel out a bigger portion of the lower thigh and knee area to make it fit. I used 4 mm because I felt 6 might bulge out a bit too much, but in a pinch it shouldn't be too big of a deal.

Just found that those mixed bags are really cheaper. $7 + $6 shipping for a 6 pack of 6mm, or $19 and free shipping for a 50 pack of random joints. Well I will be picking some up soon, maybe even get a figure first to just do the elbow fix. Thanks for the know how!

White0head · 03-09-2013, 04:48 AM

I'm pretty sure that'll add some length to the arms and legs.

RodimusVTS · 04-11-2013, 07:30 AM

Which MK 42 is that? It looks taller than the single pack one. Is it the one that comes w/ the car?

ultraman zoffy · 04-12-2013, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodimusVTS

Which MK 42 is that? It looks taller than the single pack one. Is it the one that comes w/ the car?

It's the regular single pack MK42 assembler. It's taller due to the added revoltech joints in the knees.

biofan813 · 05-03-2013, 07:32 PM

Been following this thread for a while now. You convinced me to go out and get a MK 42 assemblers iron man. I think I have a good idea of how you made your but I still have some questions

1.How did you do the arms? did you thread the pipe through tha arm into the wrist or was that seprate?
2.how did you accomplish the wrist articulation?
3.can you take a few more pictures or further explain how you got the hip joints to function as "ball joints"? that part was kinda vague.
4.what was the pipe that you used called and where can i find some in the east coast of the US?

If you can make a step by step that would be awesome!, if not ill try to piece things together my self. Your onto something good. thanks for the inspiration.

02-19-2013, 09:42 PM	#1
ultraman zoffy Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 1,024	UPDATES! Added Revoltech joints at the knees, but still have bendable wire for the elbow joints. With the Revoltech knees, the figures are now in-scale height wise with the IM2 figure line. So... realizing that there seems to be no plans for quality 3.75 IM3 figures, I decided to use my "hobbling" bendy wire technique to add some poseability to these p.o.s.'s. Brought the figure to about Avengers movie line articulation level, and it is now a semi-decent 3.75 stand in movie line figure. Iron Patriot now has: 1) bend/swivel elbow joints 2) outward hip movement (gained by tapering the hip area of the upper legs and routing a notch around the hip pegs to turn it into more of a "ball" joint) 3) bend/swivel knee joints 4) bend/swivel repulsor wrist I'm actually having fun with this fig now, and just have to stick a filler piece on the lower thigh area to fill in the gap there that will sink into the knee guard. It worked well enough and was so easy that I ordered a MK42 Assembler to mod. Total mod time was about 15 minutes. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by ultraman zoffy; 03-04-2013 at 09:01 PM.. Reason: added new images

02-22-2013, 07:49 AM	#2
RodimusVTS Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 284	Not bad, did the leg mods add any height? __________________

02-24-2013, 04:12 PM	#4
RodimusVTS Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 284	So it's still shorter than the IM2 one? Darn. __________________

03-06-2013, 10:13 PM	#7
trekking95 Oh, it's beautiful. Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Under Tarkin's skin. Posts: 884	Are the shoulders the stock ones? Also if you could add a bit more details on how it was done that would be great. I would like some IM3 figures, but the way they are from the store is horrible! And they didn't even paint the palm repulsor! __________________ photobucketsucks.jpg please vistit my BST http://www.toyark.com/trekking95s-b-s-t-107986

03-07-2013, 12:52 PM	#8
ultraman zoffy Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 1,024	Quote: Originally Posted by trekking95 Are the shoulders the stock ones? Also if you could add a bit more details on how it was done that would be great. I would like some IM3 figures, but the way they are from the store is horrible! And they didn't even paint the palm repulsor! The shoulders are indeed the stock ones... they're actually the ONLY redeeming factor on the Assembler figures. I didn't plan on doing up any of the other IM3 figs except the MK42 and Iron Patriot, but I'll try elaborating more on the process. You'll want to read my other custom WIP thread here first for the basic idea on how to do the elbows: http://www.toyark.com/hobbling-my-5-...lution-124204/ It basically comes down to cutting the Assemblers at the elbows and knees along the panel lines sculpted into the figures. Originally, I ended up just using bendable aluminum wire for both the knees and elbows, but later installed revoltech joints at the knees to make the gap less pronounced. The elbows have wire joints, but the gap is not bad at all so the revoltech joints aren't necessary there. Getting outward movement at the hips is also really easy; Iron Patriot required a little shaving at the top of his upper legs to allow for a little more movement, but the MK42 is slim enough in that area to allow good range without any mods. The T-Crotch on these is surprisingly non-limiting on the Assemblers, and is close to ball joint level of movement (like older MU figs). All in all, simple mods, but it does wonders for making these toys way funner than they were designed to be. Last edited by ultraman zoffy; 03-07-2013 at 12:55 PM..